Tuesday, June 25, 2024

Porzingis to have surgery, will miss Olympics: Celtics

Porzingis to have surgery, will miss Olympics: Celtics

June 25, 2024 0

Boston Celtics star Kristaps Porzingis will miss next month’s Olympics after opting to have surgery on a leg injury, the NBA team announced on Tuesday.

The Latvian power forward suffered a “rare” leg injury in game two of the NBA Finals earlier this month and will go under the knife to repair the problem.

“The injury doesn’t allow for consistent play at the level required for Olympic competition. Surgery will be performed in the coming days, and further updates will be provided when available,” the Celtics said.

Porzingis suffered a 38-day layoff after injuring his right calf in April, before coming off the bench to play in game one of the NBA Finals for the Celtics.

He played in game two but suffered a “torn medial retinaculum allowing dislocation of the posterior tibialis tendon in his left leg”.

That injury ruled him out of games three and four, although he returned from the bench to play 16 minutes in game five as the Celtics wrapped up a 4-1 series victory. (© Agence France-Presse)

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Sunday, June 23, 2024

ZUS Coffee, Farm Fresh, Galeries, Capital1 battle for PVL’s top overall pick

ZUS Coffee, Farm Fresh, Galeries, Capital1 battle for PVL’s top overall pick

June 23, 2024 0

The Premier Volleyball League (PVL) will determine who among the ZUS Coffee Thunderbelles, Farm Fresh Foxies, Galeries Tower Highrisers, or Capital1 Solar Spikers will have the privilege of picking first in the inaugural rookie draft next month.

According to PVL Commissioner Sherwin Malonzo, the team that will own the top overall pick will be identified in the PVL Draft Lottery scheduled for 7 p.m. tonight on RPTV’s Starting Lineup program.

“The draft lottery is intended to discourage tanking, or the act of deliberately losing games to secure a higher draft pick,” Malonzo said. “So we will not automatically award the top pick to the worst-performing team.”

Malonzo added that ZUS Coffee, formerly Strong Group Athletics, will have a 40-percent chance of nabbing the first pick in the lottery, followed by Capital1 (30%), Galeries Tower (20%), and Farm Fresh (10%).

“Drafts are the great equalizer in pro leagues. This season, we will hold our first-ever draft with guidelines influenced by some of the top leagues in the world,” the PVL official said.

De La Salle University Lady Spikers’ Thea Gagate is favored to be picked first in the league’s first-ever rookie draft, while Julia Coronel, Roma Mae Doromal, Maicah Larroza, Leila Cruz, and Lucille Almonte are also expected to be selected early.

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Gilas Pilipinas’ new jersey design draws mixed reactions from netizens

Gilas Pilipinas’ new jersey design draws mixed reactions from netizens

June 23, 2024 0

Netizens have mixed reactions to the new jersey design of the Gilas Pilipinas national men’s basketball team, which some players posted online on Sunday.
Some social media comments likened the new jersey design to an ecobag from the IKEA furniture store, while others opposed the change, arguing that the previous design was already perfect.

Some netizens, however, liked the new Gilas jersey design, noting its resemblance to the retro jersey of the Talk N’ Text Phone Pals and the current uniform of the Magnolia Chicken Timplados Hotshots.

Nike Philippines, the official outfitter for Gilas Pilipinas, announced on Sunday that the national men’s basketball team will debut their new jersey during the Olympic Qualifying Tournament matches in Latvia next month.
The Gilas Pilipinas women’s squad, men’s and women’s 3×3 squads, and Gilas Pilipinas youth basketball teams will also use the same jersey design.

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Saturday, June 22, 2024

SGA-Pilipinas open to lending Abando, Heading to Gilas

SGA-Pilipinas open to lending Abando, Heading to Gilas

June 22, 2024 0

The Strong Group Athletics-Pilipinas are open to lending Rhenz Abando and Jordan Heading to the injury-hit Gilas Pilipinas ahead of their Olympic Qualifying Tournament campaign in Latvia next month.

According to SGA-Pilipinas team manager Jacob Lao, a Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas official reached out to him about the possibility of borrowing Abando and Heading to cover up for the injuries of Earl Scottie Thompson, Jamie Malonzo, and AJ Edu.

“May nakausap na kami at nag-exploratory talks na. Kasi matagal na raw nila gusto ‘yung mga players, kaso may mga commitments nga. Nagkataon, ‘yung commitment pala nung dalawa na gusto nila, nasa amin. So walang problema ‘yun,” Lao said in an interview with sports insider Snow Badua.

“Basta para sa bansa, ang commitment ng mga players namin is para sa bansa. ‘Yan naman ang gusto ni boss Frank (Lao). Magsabi lang po, basta kaya naming tumulong para sa bansa, lagi kaming andito,” he added.

Jacob added that releasing Abando and Heading to Gilas Pilipinas does not matter for the SGA-Pilipinas, even if it affects their campaign in the 43rd William Jones Cup in Taipei, Taiwan.

Gilas Pilipinas will travel to Latvia next month to face No. 8-ranked Latvia on July 3 and No. 23-ranked Georgia on July 4 for a chance to earn a slot in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

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Eya Laure, Jen Nierva, Arah Panique, Thea Gagate out of Alas Pilipinas?

Eya Laure, Jen Nierva, Arah Panique, Thea Gagate out of Alas Pilipinas?

June 22, 2024 0

Eya Laure, Jennifer Nierva, Arah Panique, and Thea Gagate are rumored to be out of the Alas Pilipinas national women’s volleyball team competing in the 2024 FIVB Challenger Cup, scheduled from July 4 to 7 at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila.

According to various social media posts over the past few days, the four players are no longer part of the Jorge Edson Souza de Brito-led national squad due to “prior commitments.

However, the Philippine National Volleyball Federation has yet to confirm or deny the rumored exit of these volleyball stars.

Laure, Nierva, and Gagate all played crucial roles for the Alas Pilipinas national women’s volleyball team during their historic bronze medal finish in the 2024 AVC Challenge Cup for Women.
Panique, for her part, also had a memorable game during the Philippine women’s volleyball squad’s semifinal defeat to Kazakhstan.

The post Eya Laure, Jen Nierva, Arah Panique, Thea Gagate out of Alas Pilipinas? first appeared on Fastbreak.


Euro 2024: Portugal pounds Turkey to reach round of 16

Euro 2024: Portugal pounds Turkey to reach round of 16

June 22, 2024 0

Portugal moved on to the round-of-16 of Euro 2024 following a 3-0 triumph over Turkey on Saturday night (Sunday morning in Manila) at the BVB Stadion Dortmund in Dortmund, Germany.

Bernardo Silva and Bruno Fernandes scored a goal each, while Turkey committed an own goal violation as Portugal secured their post-season seat with a 2-0 record in Group F.

Portugal opened the scoring in the 21st minute as Silva converted a left-footed shot to the center after receiving the ball from Cristiano Ronaldo inside the box.

Turkey then gave Portugal a 2-0 edge as Samet Akaydin committed an own goal violation as he delivered a back-pass that rolled to the side of his goalkeeper, Altay Bayindir, and straight into the net.

Portugal then widened their advantage to 3-0 with a 55th-minute right-footed shot to the center of the goal from Fernandes from a timely pass from Ronaldo.

“It was a pure moment of Portuguese football,” Portugal coach Roberto Martinez said in praise of his captain Ronaldo, who is making a record 27th appearance in the Euro.

“It should be shown in every academy in Portugal and in world football, because it showed that the team is the most important thing,” he added, referring to Ronaldo opting to pass rather than score.

Turkey, which defeated Georgia 3-1 in their opening game, remained with three points in the group and is in a must-win situation against Czechia to reach the next round.

Meanwhile, in Cologne, Germany, Belgium bounced back from their first-game loss with a 2-0 victory over Romania to keep their post-season hopes alive.

Youri Tielemans gave Belgium a quick 1-0 with his second-minute goal before Kevin De Bruyne wrapped up the victory with a second-half conversion.

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Nisperos concludes Ateneo journey; graduates from college

Nisperos concludes Ateneo journey; graduates from college

June 22, 2024 0

It’s a full-circle moment for former Ateneo standout Faith Nisperos, as she has closed another chapter of her life, which ended in the same place where it all started: Ateneo.

Nisperos recalled her journey at Ateneo in an Instagram post.

“It was in Ateneo de Davao University where I first learned the value of excellence. Giving my best in all things I pursue while challenging myself to be better than my best,” she wrote.

She admitted to finding love for volleyball later on and said that if it weren’t for her former coach, who relentlessly encouraged her to play, she wouldn’t have made it to where she is today—in the professional league, on the on the national team, and now as a Bachelor of Science in Management graduate.

Nisperos left ADDU and continued to pursue her high school education at the National University Nazareth School. She then joined the Lady Bullpups in UAAP Season 76, where she captured the Rookie of the Year award.

The Alas Pilipinas member also helped the Lady Bullpups achieve its first-ever girls’ division title in the next year, where she was hailed as the season MVP. The team then made it four consecutive championship titles.

After her NU-Nazareth stint, Nisperos returned home. She studied college at the Ateneo de Manila University and played for the Ateneo Blue Eagles, where she was able to add more to her long list of awards.

In UAAP Season 84, she led the team to a bronze finish and bagged the 2nd Best Outside Hitter honors. In 2022, she was hailed as a finalist for the Sportswoman of the Year award by The Guidon-Moro Lorenzo Awards for Sports, an ADMU awards program to recognize the university’s exemplary student-athletes.

Although she decided to forego her final year, she hoped to carry the valuable lessons she learned all throughout her UAAP journey to the pros.

And now, as she ends her college education, Nisperos is excited to go “down from the hill” with her guiding light, the Ignatian values.

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